A helping hand or two
by katy-g
Summary: The summer before the Horcrux hunt begins, Hermione is frustrated by how much she still has to prepare, until she receives an offer of help from an unlikely source.  ONESHOT


_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise! _

_I'm challenging myself to write something every day and to upload for your perusal. I've only managed oneshots so far, but fingers crossed I'll get started on something longer in a day or two. Let me know if you think I should!  
PS I love reviews!_

The task they had set themselves seemed more impossible by the day. It did not seem to matter how hard she researched, time was ticking on and she was no closer to being ready to accompany Harry on his mission to find the Horcruxes. Ron was no help. He was happy to play Quidditch with Ginny, and just told her she was worrying too much if she tried to get him to help her. It was so frustrating! She closed the book she was reading with a snap and picked up another; hoping to find what she was looking for in this one.

Looking up from the heavy book she was flicking through, Hermione jumped as she saw two identical faces, one either side of her, staring at her intently. "Oh! You startled me" she told them, huffing and then frowning as she realised their expressions had not changed. "What is it?" she asked, uneasily.

"We've been watching you, you know" Fred said, conversationally.

Hermione frowned. "I know; I can see you" she retorted crossly.

"Not just today, dummy" George cut in, tapping the side of her head with one long finger.

"You haven't been ... right, not since you arrived" Fred added.

"You're plotting something" George said firmly.

"Something you're not telling."

"What is it?"

Hermione looked from one to the other cautiously, as if hoping she could think of something to fob them off.

As if he could read her thoughts, Fred shook his head. "Don't even think about it" he told her sternly. "You can't fool us. We might even be able to help you, you know."

"No-one can. Not this time" Hermione said finally, looking almost relieved that the story had to come out.

Both boys leaned forward, clearly intrigued but unusually serious.

"We're not going back to Hogwarts" she told them, her voice low. "We have things we need to find, that can end this war. But no-one can know what we are doing or where we go. I don't think Harry and Ron realise how little we really know. We don't even know how to protect ourselves. Chances are we'll be caught and killed before we get anywhere, and that will be the end for everything."

"So you need to be prepared, for them as well as you?" George smiled slightly, shaking his head. "That's a lot to take on, you know."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you think I don't know that?" she retorted, although there was no spite in her tone. "So I need to be able to carry with me everything we might need to travel Merlin knows where." She buried her head in her hands. "I just feel like I'm letting Harry down" she continued, her voice muffled by her fingers and the bushy hair that had tumbled forward.

The twins leaned forwards, each pulling one of her hands away so that she had to look at them. "Stop panicking, Hermione" Fred said sternly, although there was a soft twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

"Take one thing at a time" George added. "So, first off you need a way of carrying a vast amount of stuff that won't weigh you down."

"So you need an extension charm" Fred said.

"Well, yes" Hermione said, almost snappishly. "But I don't want it to be discovered. We're going to be out in the muggle world. I might as well just carry a giant sign saying '_we are here'_."

"I wouldn't advise that" George said immediately, grinning.

"Daft" Fred agreed, laughing and dodging as Hermione aimed a slap his way.

The twins sobered and looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment. "An undetectable extension charm" George said thoughtfully, after a moment. "Fred, didn't we use a version for the Extendable Ears?"

Hermione felt a sudden dawn of hope as both boys broke out into identical grins. "You know what I can use?" she asked hopefully.

"Bookworm taking advice from the pair she took House Points from?" Fred asked, teasingly. "We'll help you with it tonight" he added, his voice suddenly low and serious.

"Fred." George had looked at the clock. "We should be open by now."

"Look; make a list of everything you can think of that you can't figure out yet and we'll help you with it" Fred told her, taking her hand in his much larger one and squeezing it gently.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, looking from one to the other, stunned.

George rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. "Honestly, Hermione. I thought you were quick on the uptake" he said, shaking his head sadly. "All this time spent with Ron is turning you thick." He laughed and dodged her kick easily.

"Of course we'll help" Fred said, shoving his twin away with his free hand. "We're in this fight as much as you are. It'll be good to actually do something worthwhile for a change."

Hermione couldn't help it; she pulled him into a tight hug. Suddenly realising what she was doing, her eyes opened wide and she was about to pull away when another pair of arms closed around her and she was squashed between the pair of them. It made her laugh; relief mixing with her happiness now that she might finally get somewhere.

Fred and George grinned down at her and then both pulled out their wands and disapparated. Without them the house was strangely silent, but it no longer made Hermione feel alone.


End file.
